PC Win: Attached Mac Filenames Convert to Windows Incorrectly

 Last reviewed: June 4, 1996
Article ID: Q115165
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Mail for Windows, versions 3.0, 3.0b, and 3.2

SYMPTOMS

Versions 3.0, 3.0b, and 3.2 of Microsoft Mail for Windows appends a file extension to an attached file received from a version 3.0 Microsoft Mail for PC Networks, Macintosh workstation, even if the file has a valid Microsoft MS-DOS filename.

NOTE: MS-DOS supports a filename limited to eight characters for the name and three characters for the extension (for example, FILENAME.DOC). This naming convention is commonly referred to as 8.3 format.

CAUSE

Mail's naming algorithm assumes that Macintosh file attachments do not have valid filenames and extensions (that is, filenames in 8.3 format). Therefore, Mail moves the decimal to the end of the filename and adds the appropriate extension. The filename conversion is handled by VFORMS.DLL.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in versions 3.0b and 3.2 of Microsoft Mail for Windows. This problem was corrected in version 3.2a.

For information on obtaining this update, query on the following word in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (without the spaces): 

   m a i l u p d
NOTE: If the extension does not contain three characters, the updated VFORMS.DLL file drops the extension and adds the correct one. If the extension is three characters, it is left unchanged.

Additional reference words: 3.00 3.00b 3.20
KBCategory: kbusage kbinterop kbbug3.00 kbbug3.00b kbbug3.20 kbfix3.20a
KBSubCategory: MailPCWin

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Last reviewed: June 4, 1996
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